Charlotte Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Charlotte Pedestrian Accident Attorney

All citizens of Charlotte, North Carolina, have the right to navigate public spaces and infrastructure while feeling that they are safe and protected. Walking as a means of transportation throughout the city is a healthy alternative to driving, and it should be protected and applauded. Therefore, if you have suffered injuries from a pedestrian accident in the area, then a passionate Charlotte pedestrian accident lawyer from Bridgman Gantt Law is here to represent you.

At Bridgman Gantt Law, our team of personal injury lawyers has spent years fighting both in and out of the courtroom for our clients who have fallen victim to pedestrian accidents. Whether your accident was minor, involving cuts or bruises, or more serious, including broken bones or traumatic brain injury, our lawyers are here to:

• Thoroughly understand your case.
• Collect pertinent evidence.
• Negotiate with insurance companies.
• Fight for you in the courtroom if needed.

We can offer a compassionate ear and an impeccable strategy to secure compensation.

Do I Need a Charlotte Pedestrian Accident Lawyer?

If you have been injured as a result of a Charlotte pedestrian accident, then you may be wondering what steps you should take next. While it is possible to negotiate with the insurance company of the at-fault driver on your own, this requires a deep knowledge of local, state, and federal traffic laws, along with personal injury law experience.

Because insurance companies want to optimize their profits, they will be working to lowball your compensation offer to save on overhead. Therefore, you need to be prepared with an itemized report and backing evidence for associated damages from your accident. You must also have assertive negotiation skills and a deep knowledge of insurance premium policy.

Falling victim to a pedestrian accident can be physically and emotionally painful and devastating. This makes it extremely difficult to manage all these negotiations on your own. An experienced Charlotte pedestrian accident lawyer can step in and gather all pertinent evidence on your behalf, including:

• Police Reports: Your lawyer can track down relevant reports from law enforcement, including the original police report from the accident.
• Photos and Videos: Media, such as photos and videos from the crash scene, can implicate who was at fault. Furthermore, a lawyer can seek to get footage from dash cams and traffic cameras so that the accident can be clearly replayed.
• Witness Testimony: Anyone who saw the accident can recount what they saw or experienced, helping piece together the pedestrian accident.
• Medical Reports: Any medical evidence related to the injuries after the crash can be brought forward to insurance companies. This will include health reports from physicians, prescriptions and recommended treatment plans, photos of the injuries, as well as diagnostics results, such as MRI scans.
• Expert Testimony: If necessary, a personal injury lawyer can call in experts to show that an individual was at fault. An example of this could be a physicist analyzing pictures of a crash scene to discern how fast the vehicle must have been going.
• Physical Evidence: A personal injury lawyer can also present physical evidence, such as broken personal items, to show the damage that was done during a crash.

In addition to bringing forward relevant evidence to implicate a driver as being at fault in a crash, a personal injury lawyer can also carry out a full value assessment of the damages faced as a result of the accident. This will include, among other losses:

• Past, current, and projected medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Disability accommodations
• Repairs and replacement of items

By thoroughly assessing the value of your damages, a personal injury lawyer can help ensure that you get no less than the amount of compensation that you are entitled to.

Do I Need to Sue After a North Carolina Pedestrian Accident?

Whether it is necessary to pursue litigation after being struck by a vehicle as a pedestrian in North Carolina is dependent on the accident and case details. In some situations, your personal injury lawyer may not be able to successfully reach a fair settlement amount with the at-fault driver’s insurance company outside of court. Therefore, they may then suggest litigation as a necessary means to get the compensation you are entitled to.

It is also possible that the insurance company of the at-fault driver agrees to pay all the required amount, but it maxes out the premiums on the driver’s insurance plan. In such cases, it is necessary to collect the full premium from the insurance company and then pursue a court case to collect more money from the driver, which they must then pay out of pocket.

If you are an NC pedestrian who has been struck by a vehicle and is facing subsequent damages and injuries, then a loyal pedestrian accident lawyer can help you strategize ways to optimize your compensation amounts. They can analyze the details of your case, speak with the insurance company, and help advise you on whether negotiation, litigation, or both would be advisable to pursue.

How Do Pedestrian Accidents Commonly Happen?

In Charlotte, North Carolina, pedestrian accidents are commonly caused by reckless, distracted, or negligent driving. Pedestrian accidents can happen in various locations, including:

• Downtown Charlotte
• Residential neighborhoods
• School zones
• Parking lots
• Busy intersections

Pedestrian accidents are typically caused by the following risk factors:

• Failure to Yield the Right-of-Way: In North Carolina, pedestrians have the right-of-way at marked crosswalks. In situations where drivers do not yield when they are supposed to, they can cause a pedestrian accident.
• Left Turns: At intersections and crossings, pedestrians are more likely to be hit when drivers are turning left, as they may not be properly looking both ways. Complex intersections that are not properly marked can increase a pedestrian’s chance of being hit while a car is turning left.
• Distracted Driving: When drivers are distracted, they are not paying proper attention to the road and the other people and vehicles around them, increasing the risk of hitting a pedestrian. Actions such as texting or emailing, playing phone games, eating, applying makeup, talking with passengers, and adjusting the radio, are distractors that put others in the car and on the road in danger.
• Reckless Driving: Reckless driving can involve driving over the speed limit, not stopping properly at traffic intersections, cutting other vehicles off suddenly, and lane-swerving. This type of driving is not only extremely prone to causing accidents, but it is also highly punishable and, in some instances, criminalized.
• Driving Under the Influence: Drivers who are operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs have decreased visibility, poorer judgment, slower reaction times, and worse cognitive and physical functioning. Driving under the influence is highly criminalized and, depending on the circumstances, it can lead to hefty fines and time in prison.

If you have been hit as a pedestrian by a driver due to conduct that was reckless or negligent, and you have sustained damages or injuries, then a personal injury lawyer from Bridgman Gantt Law can help you get the compensation that you deserve. We can prove that the driver was at fault for the accident by using relevant evidence, such as blood alcohol level tests, traffic intersection footage, and witness testimony.

Who Is at Fault in North Carolina for a Pedestrian Accident?

In North Carolina, an involved party in a pedestrian accident, such as a pedestrian or a driver, can be at fault or liable for the accident. The driver may be driving different vehicles, such as an automobile, a truck, a scooter, or a bicycle. In North Carolina, pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers are all expected to abide by the law and relevant safety standards to keep roads and traffic ways secure. If an individual acts in a way that is not conducive to these regulations, then they are acting in a negligent manner.

For example, pedestrians are expected to properly use traffic signals and only cross on marked crosswalks, while drivers are expected to go the speed limit and obey other North Carolina traffic laws. Furthermore, any third parties that may be responsible for a pedestrian accident, such as vehicle designers and manufacturers, have a responsibility to hold their products to certain safety standards to ensure the safety of the end users.

In addition to the possibility of the above entities being liable for a pedestrian crash, the government can be liable as well. For example, if the North Carolina Department of Transportation does not properly repair critical infrastructure, and it leads to an accident, then it can be held accountable. Overall, it is possible for one party or multiple parties to be held liable for a pedestrian accident.

Determining Liability in a North Carolina Pedestrian Accident

When determining which party or parties are at fault in a North Carolina pedestrian accident, the process can be carried out either within or outside the court system. Outside the court system, insurance agents will decide on the percentage of liability of each party by considering all the available evidence, including:

• Witness accounts
• Explanations from each party
• Police and medical reports
• Expert testimony
• Compliance with relevant traffic laws

In a court setting, this evidence will be considered before a jury or judge.

In Charlotte, North Carolina, if a party is considered to be partially at fault for an accident, then they are not entitled to recover any compensation for the resulting accident injuries and damages due to the law of contributory negligence. For example, if a driver is found to be 99 percent at fault for an accident, but a pedestrian is still one percent liable, then they are not entitled to any compensation.

Because of the strict law of contributory negligence in North Carolina, it’s critical to work with a personal injury lawyer who can fiercely represent your case, proving that the other party or parties were 100 percent responsible for your pedestrian accident. They can employ various strategies, such as evidence collection and case arguments, to work toward ensuring that you get the compensation you deserve.

Why Work With the Personal Injury Team at Bridgman Gantt Law?

At Bridgman Gantt Law, we strive for excellence to deliver optimal case outcomes for our clients. We understand how difficult and frustrating it can be to endure an accident as a pedestrian. Therefore, we work to help reduce your legal stress after an accident so that you and your loved ones can focus on healing. We can take over all the bureaucratic and legal complexities, offering you peace and security. As part of our plan to deliver quality service to clients, our firm offers the following:

• Timely and Frequent Communication: When working with Bridgman Gantt Law, you can be kept apprised of your case’s developments. From the first consultation to the final settlement, we make sure that all your questions and concerns are addressed and that you are updated on each step of the settlement or litigation process.
• Knowledge of Local and State Laws: Our pedestrian accident team knows Charlotte’s and North Carolina’s traffic laws as well as the intricacies of personal injury law. Our team knows how to leverage this to prove that the other party was at fault in the accident.
• Excellent Negotiation Skills: Our attorneys are not afraid to fiercely contend with big insurance companies that are only looking to make a profit. We have experience working with these companies, so we can plan our negotiation strategies based on the evidence and who is involved. If you ask around, most major auto insurance companies in the NC area will know about us.
• Compassionate Support: The legal team at Bridgman Gantt Law is sensitive to the fact that you are healing from injuries and may still be recovering emotionally from the accident. Therefore, not only do we offer legal support, but we also have a sympathetic ear to understand what you may be going through. By tackling the situation together, we hope to work toward reducing your burden.

If you are a pedestrian who has been struck in the Charlotte area, then we are your go-to personal injury group. We are deeply rooted in the community and are driven by the fact that, by defending clients, we are helping keep local roads safer and more enjoyable for pedestrians and others who use them.

FAQs

Q: What Happens If I Hit a Pedestrian in Charlotte, North Carolina?

A: If you hit a pedestrian in the Charlotte area, and it resulted in injury, then you will likely have to pay for the associated damages through your insurance company. The damages to be covered could include medical bills, lost wages, impaired earning capacity, and damage to personal property. If you were breaking the law and it resulted in a collision with a pedestrian, then there may also be criminal charges against you, with potential penalties such as fines and jail time.

Q: In North Carolina, Do Pedestrians Have the Right-of-Way?

A: In the state of North Carolina, pedestrians have the right-of-way at all places where there is a marked crosswalk, including driveways and intersections. If there is no marked crosswalk, then the pedestrian must yield to oncoming vehicles. If you have been hit as a pedestrian in North Carolina, whether on a marked crosswalk or not, it is important to get in contact with a dedicated NC personal injury lawyer to understand what your options are for getting compensation.

Q: How Much Can I Get for a Charlotte, NC, Pedestrian Accident?

A: The amount of money that a victim of a North Carolina pedestrian accident can get depends on the details of the accident, including the severity of the subsequent damages or injuries, the location of the accident, and whether the driver or pedestrian was breaking any laws.

The amount of money from a pedestrian accident settlement can range from no settlement to tens of thousands of dollars. If you are a pedestrian who has been hit by a driver in North Carolina, it is advisable to contact a knowledgeable pedestrian accident lawyer.

Q: Is Jaywalking Against the Law in North Carolina?

A: In the state of North Carolina, jaywalking, or crossing roadways without using properly marked walkways at the appropriate traffic signals, is against the law. Jaywalking is considered to be a minor infraction that can lead to a small fine. If you are a pedestrian who has been hit while jaywalking in North Carolina, then it’s still critical to contact a passionate personal injury lawyer, as you may still have a valid argument for compensation, depending on the details of your case.

Fight for Compensation After Your Charlotte, North Carolina, Pedestrian Accident

If you are a pedestrian who has been hit and injured by a driver in Charlotte, North Carolina, then it is critical to work with a Charlotte pedestrian accident lawyer. An attorney can assess all relevant damages and help you get the compensation that you are entitled to.

The compassionate personal injury team at Bridgman Gantt Law is here to address your questions and concerns, understand the intricate details of your case, and advocate on your behalf to help you optimize your compensation. Contact our team today to discuss your case.